Too Late, Too Soon
by TeahWeah
Summary: Angelina and George shares a moment together in the midst of battle. Deathly Hallows spoiler.


**Too Late, Too Soon by TeahWeah**

It was late past midnight and the atmosphere around the Great Hall was filled with remorse and fear. Will they ever win this war now? And where was Harry Potter?

Angelina was on her knees, the cold tile chilling her body. She has lost her jacket because a Death Eater set it on fire while she was battling him. Her body was frozen, and she knew it wasn't from the tile below her; but from looking at the body that lay motionless before her. The red hair, the unmistakable trademark freckles; Fred Weasley, the man she love. His family members were all gathered not so far from where he was lying, having seen the body and were all mourning over his death, hoping that distance kept from Fred will make the whole thing unfold to be a lie. Hoping that Fred would somehow walk into the hall, with full health and beaming up to them, ready for more battle.

Angelina looked at Mrs Weasley, whom she has met several times and whom Angelina knew have a fondness over the dark skin girl when Fred and her were dating. Mrs Weasley was crying, with her daughter and sons all giving her words and gestures of comfort. Angelina couldn't stand looking at it; she wanted to vomit from the pain that was stabbing her stomach. She misses her family.

"Hey, Angelina. Are you okay?" The voice of Lee Jordan appeared from behind her, stroking her back reassuringly. Angelina wanted to reply, but words failed her. She nodded stiffly as a respond.

Not more than two minutes, Lee stayed with her until she said, "Can I have some time alone, Lee? Please."

Lee's hand stopped halfway from stroking her back, hesitated and he got up and walked away when he saw the look of sorrow on her face.

She kept looking at the huddled Weasley family. George who has no trails of tears left on his cheeks. This time, Lee had his hand across George's shoulder, giving him words of reassurance. All George could do, Angelina noticed, was nod in reply.

She saw, from the corner of her eyes that Lee was whispering to George, possible even pointing a finger up at her. She looked up to her two friends and met eyes with George. She turned away as quickly as possible, her need to vomit was even more apparent than it was fifteen minutes before.

George made his way to his twin's body and to his friend. He sat next to her on his knees. Angelina took George's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Hi, Angelina," he croaked. He sounded like he had a bad head cold. She could feel his hand rubbing her back and his eyes were looking down his twin's body. Angelina couldn't help noticing that hole on the side of his head, from which his ears was cursed off. Oh, how much should the Weasley twins suffer?

"Hi," she sniffed, looking up at him. He took off is cloak and wrapped it around Angelina who was shivering more now. She mouthed a thanks and looked down at Fred.

There was a long pause between them for five minutes. She looked at George, remorse on his face and then she turned away and inescapable tears form in her eyes. "He looks just like you, George."

"Yeah, we get that a lot," he chuckled as tears fell down his face.

She chuckled. She couldn't believe she just said something as stupid as that. "Look at him, George. He still has laughter on his face," she hiccupped.

"He'll always have laughter on his face," he replied, giving her hand a squeeze, "if you're ever going to remember Fred, Angelina… it's his laughter. It never dies."

Angelina nodded stiffly again, looking down at the pale reflection of the person sitting next to her. She wanted to vomit more than ever now. She wants to run away from all of this. She has suffered enough.

"My parents died a couple of weeks ago," Angelina choked. Is now a good time to open up to George? She doesn't care. If she doesn't let it out now, she will vomit all over Fred's torso. "My sister died last year. It's just me alone now, George. Now I don't even have my best friend. Fred's gone."

The words finally sunk in to her. She sniffed as tears finally fell down on her lap.

"I came here. Neville contacted me," she continued as more tears escaped her eyes, "I was with Oliver and Alicia. We've been in hiding, our families are blood traitors. I thought Fred would be here. First time I'd see him for a year and a half. Maybe we could restore something, fighting together. And laugh afterwards, if ever we win and maybe something more will happen afterwards. I lied when I told him that I'm doing fine without him two years ago, hoping that I will fulfil that lie and go onwards."

Angelina remembered what happened between them. They dated. They were crazy for one another. When Fred wanted to leave Hogwarts, Angelina went into hysterics. Screamed at Fred in front of the common room telling them she doesn't need him. That she's okay by her own. That's she's fine and she's going to move on easily than he would ever expect.

She was wrong. She came back to Hogwarts hours ago and saw Fred, who kissed her on the cheek and gave her a hug. His hug gave her hope that the future would be brighter. That everything would be fine. That the Dark Lord will fall.

She looked into George's eyes, a hint of moisture was in those deep blue. His lips trembled and she knew he was trying to find the right words to say to her. She looked at the opposite wall in front of her, not wanting to see Fred again. Hoping, like the rest of the Weasley family, that he will enter the Great Hall and start dancing like they did during the Yule Ball.

"He tried moving on, Angelina," George said, "Trying to start dating with other people. He even tried dating Fleur's cousin, who is a veela. Didn't work for him. His heart went instantly to you whenever he tries being in a relationship. He told me. He loved you."

Sobbing came from both parts. George also looked up to the wall in front of them, a hint of reminiscence was written on his face.

"I should have told him, shouldn't I?" Angelina cried, "That I love him? Before it was too late?"

"There are a lot of things we should have done... and we only will realise what our unfulfilled actions are once it slips away," George said, his gaze breaking from the wall to Angelina's face. He wiped the tears away from her face and the both of them looked down at Fred's empty face.

"It's a terrible blow for mum," George said and he looked at his mother, who was comforted by his children. "It's a…," George choked on his words and he looked like he was nearing hysterics, "terrible blow for me."

George looked at Angelina, giving her hand another squeeze. She felt like her hand was going to fall off from all the squeezing. His voice came out in a whisper. "An—Angelina, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know if I'm able to get through this. A part of me is _dead_. I'm looking at that part now," George's head turned quickly to Fred's body, "_That_ is how I am going to look like when I die. Fred used to tell me that as long as we're alive, we will keep bringing laughter to this world, dark times or light times. Now I…" he choked again and wiped away the tear from his face, "Now I don't know what to do. I believed him. That he will always be there for me. That we will go down together. That's what I believed."

"George, he wouldn't want you to isolate yourself," Angelina said, George's words were killing her, "Fred wouldn't want your world to stop because of him. Let alone stop the existence of the shop. Before you both left Hogwarts, he told me not to give up what I believed in, to keep fighting the resistance Umbridge was making. He would say the same thing to you. Keep fighting and do what you do best."

"I know. I... I ... I miss him already," he cried.

Angelina reached out to George and gave him a tight hug and they both sobbed into each other's shoulders. She didn't want to let go. She wanted to stay there forever. George's warmth was easing her insides. It was like hugging Fred again.

There was an abrupt halt around the Great Hall. Both of them looked up and Professor Sprout announced in a small voice so that everyone in the hall could hear, "He's here. He Who Must Not Be Named. He's approaching the castle!"

She looked at George, who stared down to Fred's body; George was so frozen, he doesn't seem to be breathing at all. His face written with fear without his other half next to him cracking jokes about Voldemort's announcement. She looked at the side of his eyes, staring down his twin's body, the same light blue eyes as Fred's. From his eyes, she progressed to his freckles, the hair, the hole where his ear once was and the wrinkles from laughter.

The worry escaped his face, replaced with strength.

And she can almost hear him, she could almost hear Fred reflecting on George's facial features, _Fight for me, fight for the innocent._

George turned to her Angelina's face and he nodded once, determinedly.

"For Fred," he breathed confidently.

"For Fred," she choked, the words nearly failing her. The strength made a final tear fall down her eyes, hitting Fred's torso.

Angelina took one final look at Fred before leaving the Great Hall and entering battle field. She bent down on her knees to kiss Fred. His lips were cold, but a smile flicker on his face briefly and she knew she was imagining it. She could see the unmistakeable wrinkles of laughter around his mouth and near his eyes that looked like it will fade away the longer she stare at his face.

With her wand clutched in her hand tightly, her head reciting Unforgivable Curse over and over again and her heart beating fast in her chest, Angelina stood up next to George and they both entered the battle of their lives.

_For Fred._

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A/N: OHMYGOD, I have not written any fan fictions for nearly a year. This story was written in a few hours. No beta, so any grammar mistakes, ack! Much apologies.

Fred's death nearly killed me, everyone. Let us remember Fred Weasley. He was an amazing character. More than anything, I want Jo to undo his death. **We love you, Fred.  
**


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